cheap internet provider for my mam

My mam has asked me to find a new internet provider for her:-

her exchange has no LLU unbundling
she doesnt download much at all

She is currently with Sky and is wanting to cancel (she cant get the low/mid/max service) and move to someone else. I presume if she does she will have to pay to rejoin BT?

Anyone got any recommendations?

If she doesn't download much perhaps one of the cheaper packages from NewNet or PlusNet would suit best. If she has an O2 phone then consider O2 Access.

If she is on Sky Connect I don't think there will be a charge for moving the broadband back to another ISP as she will be on a standard BT Wholesale service.

If her phone rental and call charges are both with Sky I think she needs BT to use the "Return To Donor" system. I think that is free as well. Once the phone is back with BT then Plusnet or Newnet as john2007 says, but I thing even with an O2 mobile she would find O2 Access too expensive.

She may not be able to get the Plusnet phone and internet bundles though - it depends if the Return To Donor locks her into a 12-month BT phone contract or not.

Return to donor I think only applies if the voice part of the service has been unbundled a la TalkTalk and Bulldog. It should still be a BT line as far as any prospective ISP is concerned regardless of who the line rental is paid to.

Regards,
Steve

Yes I agree, that's why I said the broadband shouldn't be a problem. Just I wondered if she might be on a bundle contract and what happens then wrt the phone itself if she migrates the broadband.

On an exchange with no LLU available then for a moderate user like your mum I very much doubt you can beat Plusnet's current deal as long as she is prepared to sign a 1 year contract.

This is £19.50 per month for both phone line rental and broadband with free evening and weekend calls and a 10Gb download allowance on the broadband. But the first 3 months are only £5.50 per month and there is either a fee 4 port router included or £15 cashback if she doesn't need that. Due to the first 3 months at the lower price then if you also take the £15 cashback this really means the broadband is only costing £5 per month above the BT line rental of £10.25 or so that she would clearly be paying anyway.

Basically this is TalkTalk/Tiscali type combined broadband and phone rental pricing on a non LLU exchange (where they don't offer that kind of pricing) but with a supplier (Plusnet) with English call centres, fairly helpful staff and a good reputation for reliability and support.

Note that this deal with Plusnet ends on 28th January so she would need to get a MAC code from Sky by Wednesday to take advantage.

See www.plus.net/residential/broadband/broadband_with_homephone_us.shtml for more information.

If she is on a non LLU exchange then Sky's Broadband Connect is just a normal BT Wholesale internet connection and there will be no fee for terminating or moving elsewhere as long as as she has been with Sky for broadband for at least 12 months.

Edited by deleted (Mon 26-Jan-09 11:02:16)